PA1973

Pasojoc is an area located high on the side of a mountain in the state of Quiché, Guatemala.  Life in this area is very difficult and very isolated from the outside world.  It is more than a two-hour walk to the nearest market town of Zacualpa.  Pasojoc is a farming area where corn and black beans, the staple elements in their diet, are the major corps.  The Quiché Indians who inhabit this area trace their ancestral roots to the ancient Mayan civilization.  They normally speak an Indian dialect called Quiché - however, Spanish is becoming more common.  Very little money ever changes hands in this area as they live on a barter system.

Hello, my name is Maria Glendy Calachij Coj. I was born on June 08, 2010 and I am nine years old. I am a basically healthy girl. I am attending school and I am in the second grade. In my free time, I like to play tag, hide and seek, and with dolls. My favorite color is green and my favorite animals are baby chicks. The food that I like to eat the most is grilled beef. My favorite fruit is the strawberry. I have three brothers and two sisters. Three of my siblings are registered in the feeding program. My mother is the one who brings us to the feeding program and we walk about two hours to get there. My father’s name is Basilio Calachij and he is a farmer. My mother’s name is Tomasa Coj and she is a housewife. She raises chickens and pigs that she sells when we have some needs. My whole family travels to work at the coast during the coffee harvest at the end of the year. We stay at the coast for three or four months. My family attends a Catholic church.

With much love and many blessings,

Maria Glendy Calachij Coj

Translated by: Lidia Vasquez / AAC Guatemala